Slack puller



May 26, 1931. v BlRKENMAlER 1,807,466

SLACK FULLER Filed Oct; 24, 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 y 1931. TJBIRKENMAIER 1,807,466

I SLACK FULLER Filed Oct. 24. 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented May 26, 1931 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE g'j THEODORE BIRKENMAIER, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI, ASSIGNOR TO W. N. MATTI'IEWS COR- IORA'IION, OF S'l. LOUIS, MISSOURI, A CORPORATION OF MISSOURI SLACK FULLER Application filed October 24, 1929. Serial No. 402,064.

This invention relates to slack pullers, and with regard to certain more specific features, to a slack pulled for wire cable and similar strands.

" Among the several objects of the invention may be noted the provision of an improved slack puller which comprises features of construction effecting in combination a rapid retrieving means with a relatively low mechanical advantage or a relatively slow retrieving means with high mechanical advantage; the provision of a slack puller of the class described having a compact construction wherein the parts are fully encased and protected;

] and the provision of a slack puller of the class described having a minimum number of parts ruggedly constructedand simple in operation. Other objects will be in part obvious and in part pointed out hereinafter.

The invention accordingly comprises the elements and combinations of elements, features of construction, and arrangements of parts which will 'be exemplified in the struc ture hereinafter described, and the scope of 5 the application of which will be indicated in the following claims. V

In the accompanying drawings, in which is illustrated one of various possible embodiments of the invention,

1 Fig. 1 is a side elevation of the slack puller;

Fig. 2 is a vertical section taken substantially on line 22 of Fig. 2 and, I

Fig. 3 is a right end view "of a lower part of-Fig. 1. a 85 Similar reference characters indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views of the drawings;

Referringnow more particularly to Fig;

1, there is'illustrated at numeral 1 a swiv-' eled hook or like device fastened to the housing 2. Said hook has a journal 3 free to turn within the housing 2. A collar 4 secured to journal 3 by means of pin 5 prevents hook 1 frombeing pulled from housing 2 but permits it toturn therein. The housing or frame 2"comprises two cover pieces 6 and 7, held together by bolts 8 and 9. p Fastened to the housing 2 is a chain magazine 10 which comprises two pieces bolted to- 150 gether as shown at numeral 15. The magazine cover has an extending portion 11 which is bolted to the housing 2 as shown at nu meral12. This magazine cover also has an extending portion 13 which is bolted to housing covers 6 and 7 as is shown inFig. 1, wherein the'housing cover 6 has a portion 1.4 fitting against the extension 13 and held thereto by bolt 16.

The magazine 10 is shaped as illustrated at numeral 19 to hold an idler sprocket 21 in mesh with the back of a chain 25. The sprocket is provided with a handle or hand wheel 23 so that the chain 25 can be fed into the magazine 10 by turning handle 23 when the worm. 33 and worm gear are disengaged in the manner set forth hereinafter. Within the magazine 10 are fonmed tracks or guides 27 which guide the chain 25 as it is fed into the magazine and provide an effective means of compactly storing a maximum length of chain without entanglement. The tracks or guides 27 also serve to hold the chain in continuous engagement with the idler sprocket 21. Y

Rotatably borne in bearings integrally or otherwise provided in housing 2 is a shaft 29. Keyed or otherwise aflixed to said shaft is a worm 33. Suitableendthrust washers or like means are provided for preventing H longitudinal movement of the worm 33.

The shaft 29 is provided with a reduced portion 31; to I which is keyed or otherwise aiiiXeda ratchet wheel 32. Rotatably borne on the reduced portion 31 of shaft 29, and on the end of housing 2, is a ratchet housing 37 of a crank arm 39. The crank arm 39 is provided with aconventional hand grip 41'.

Within the housing is pivoted a pawl 43.

The pawl 43 is provided with two oppositely ratcheting lugs either one of which may engagetheteeth of the ratchet 32. A spring 45 reacts from a pivot shaft 44 in the housing 37 opposite to. the pivot of the pawl, against said pawl at a point near and above thepivot thereof. This point near and above the pivot is provided with a lug 47 adapted to pinch and hold the spring 45 in position on the pawl. The spring is of the flat leaf type. It is evident that if the spring .45 be initially in a state of strain, that the pawl 43 will tend to be over-center either one way or the other, depending upon the initial lateral curvature manually given to the spring by setting a handle 46 on the shaft 4 1-. The movement of this handle 46 is resisted in part by passing over lugs 48. By the above described means the worm 33 may be rotated in either direction by setting the handle 46, that is, it may be ratcheted in either direction. A nut 49 prevents the crank 39 from being inadvertently removed endwardly.

A shaft 51 is rotatably borne in the housing 2 and is provided with an eccentric portion 53 integrally formed therewith or rigidly affixed thereto. Mounted on the eccentric 53 and free to turn thereon is a worm gear 55 and a sprocket wheel 54 held together by pins 59. The shaft 51 extends through the upper cover 6 and is fitted externally with a detent 61 which is frictionally held thereto by apin and clevis combination 63. Said detent passes over spring stops 65 and 67 to hold said detent. These stops are mounted 180 degrees apart and the eccentric 53 is so positioned on shaft 51 that when the detent 61 is held by stop 65 the worm gear 55 is engaged with the worm 33 and when the detent is held by stop 67 the worm gear 55 is disengaged from worm The sprocket 57 is in continuous engagement with the chain 25. One end of said chain is free to move within the tracks 27 of the magazine 10 and the other end is securely fastened by means of a hardened pin 7 9 to a journal box 69 which carries a swive-led hook 71. Said journal box is in two parts 7 3 and 7 5 held together by bolts 77. The hook 71 is provided with a journal 81 rotatable within the journal box 69 and held therein by a collar 83 and a pin 85.

Strippers 22 are provided so that the chain 25 will not be permitted to follow the sprockets 33 and 57, as is often the tendency. Each stripper is in the shape of a U-shaped fork, the sprocket turning between the legs of the U-shape. The strippers may be bolted or otherwise held in place as shown in Fig. 1 or they may be integrally cast with the tracks 27.

The operation of the slack puller is as follows, assuming that strand or cable lengths have been properly fastened to the hooks 1 and'71:

The detent 61 is moved to engage with stop 67, thereby disengaging worm gear 55 and worm 33 thereby permitting the sprocket 57 to turn freely and act as an idler. The movement of the chain 25 is then controlled by the hand wheel 23 which when turned in a counter-clockwise direction (Fig. 1) feeds said chain into the tracks or guides 27 of the magazine 10, thereby quickly taking up loose slack in the cable lengths fastened to the hooks 1 and 71. WVhen such a portion of the slack is taken up that it becomes difiicult to turn the hand wheel 23, the detent 61 is shifted to engage with stop 65, thereby engaging the worm gear 55 and worm 33. Vith said worm gear and worm in engagement the motion of the chain is controlled by the move ment of crank 39, the sprocket 21 functioning as an idler. By moving the handle 46 to engage either one or the other of the lugs 48, the pawl 43 permits of ratcheted turning of the crank 39 in either direction as described hereinbefore. Assuming that the worm 33 is cut with a right hand thread, clockwise rotation of crank 39 will feed the chain 25 into the magazine 10 thereby taking up the remaining slack in strand or cable lengths that was not taken up by turning the hand wheel 23.

It is evident that the combination of a crank 39, worm and worm gear 55, effects a high mechanical advantage for taking up the slack in the cable when a comparatively large force is required. In addition to affording high mechanical advantage the combination of a worm and a worm gear has the inherent advantage of effectively providing what is an automatic locking means for chain 25. This is true when a worm of low helical angle is used and such is intended to be herein used. The worm and worm gear engagement is therefore continuously acting as a reverse locking device preventing any movement of chain 25 other than the movement imparted to it by turning the crank 39.

After the proper tension has been put into a cable and it has been fastened, the slack puller may be removed by reversing the ratchet (shifting the handle 46) and reversing the movement of the crank 39. Sufficient slack may thereby be put in the chain 25 so that the hooks 1 and 71 may easily be removed from the strand or cable.

If after pulling up slack with this device, it should be desired to again let it out, this may be done easily merely by reversing the ratchet and reversing the movement of crank 39.

In view of the above, it will be seen that the several objects of the invention are achieved and other advantageous results attained.

As many changes could be made in carrying out the above constructions without departing from the scope of the invention, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

I claim:

1. A slack puller comprising a worm gear and a coupled sprocket, said worm gear engaging with a worm, means for controlling the movement of said worm, a chain in continuous engagement with said sprocket, an eccentric, said sprocket and worm gear being rotatable on said eccentric and means gas for moving the eccentric so that said worm gear may be engaged or disengaged with said worm, a second sprocket engaging the chain, and a handle associated with said second sprocket for controlling movement of the chain when the worm and worm gearare not engaged. I

2. A slack puller comprising a worm gear and a coupled sprocket, said worm gear engaging with a worm, means for controlling the movement of said worm, a chain in continuous engagement with said sprocket, an

eccentric, said sprocket and worm gear being rotatable on said eccentric, means for moving the eccentric so that said worm gear may be engaged or disengaged with said worm and a chain magazine for storing said chain.

3. A slack puller comprising a worm gear and a coupled sprocket, said worm gear engaging with a worm, means for controlling the movement of said Worm, a chain in continuous engagement with said sprocket, an eccentric, said sprocket and worm gear being rotatable on said eccentric, means for moving the eccentric so that said worm gear may be engaged or disengaged with said worm, a second sprocket engaging the chain, a handle associated with said second sprocket for controlling movement of the chain when the worm and worm gear are not engaged and a chain magazine for storing said chain.

4. A slack pull-er comprising a worm gear and a coupled sprocket, said worm gear engaging with a worm, means for controlling the movement of said worm, a chain in continuous engagement with said sprocket and a chain magazine for storing said chain, said magazine having tracks'therein for guiding said chain into the magazine and for compactly storing said chain without its becoming entangled.

5. A slack puller comprising a housing, a 7

magazine associated therewith, means for fastening the housing to a strand, a chain adapted to be fastened to another strand or the like, means for feeding said chain into and from the magazine, said last-named means comprising a self-locking mechanism providing a mechanical advantage, means for unlocking the mechanism and means providing less advantage for feeding the chain when the mechanism is unlocked.

6. A slack puller comprising a housing, a magazine associated therewith, means for fastening the housing to a strand, a chain adapted to be fastened to another strand or the like, means for feeding said chain into and from the magazine and a guide in the magazine for positioning the chain therein.

7. In a chain type slack puller, a chain,

means efiectinga substantial mechanical advantage for taking up said chain, a release for said take up means and means operating at less mechanical advantage for taking'up said chain, said last-named means idling when the former means is taking up.

8. In a chain type slack puller, a housing, fastening means on the housing, a chain, a sprocket in the frame over which the chain is fed, fastening means on the chain, a worm wheel driving said sprocket, a Worm driving the worm wheel, means for turning the worm, means for disengaging the worm wheel from the worm for purposes of quickly feeding said chain and a hand-controlled sprocket engaging the chain for said quick-feeding purposes, said sprocket idling under slow feeding conditions.

9. A slack puller comprising a housing, fastening means on the housing, a chain, fastening means on the chain, means for feeding the chain to and from the housing, a magazine associated with said housing for receiving the chain and redelivering the sameand guides in the magazine for directing the chain into predetermined positions.

10. In a chain type slack puller, a chain, means efiecting a substantial mechanical advantage for taking up said chain, a release for said take up means, means operating at less mechanical advantage for taking up said chain, said last-named means idling When the former means is taking up and comprising a sprocket engaging the chain, and a stripper for facilitating the action of the chain in leavingsaid last-named sprocket.

11. In a slack puller, means for taking up a chain including at least one sprocket, a magazine into which the chain is fed from a sprocket and a stripper adapted to effect smooth action of the chain in leaving the sprocket and entering the magazine.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification this 18th day of October, 1929.

THEODORE BIRKENMAIER. 

